Almost There
by GreenifiedGirl
Summary: Sequal to "Change My Mind" Katara let her head sink into Zuko's warm, inviting chest. "Have I changed your mind yet?" he asked. Katara smiled and said, "Almost there."


Disclaimer: I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender

**Disclaimer: **I do NOT own Avatar: The Last Airbender. IF I did, the new episodes would air sooner. As in; Right. Now.

Spoilers ahoy for those who have not yet seen episodes 312-313. This is kind of a sequal to "Change My Mind", and takes place between The Western Air Temple and The Boiling Rock. Oh, and Kataangers, I love you guys to pieces, so don't kill me. Enjoy!!

_**Almost There**_

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_All of a sudden, Hakoda called everyone back into the submarines. Toph and Sokka scampered towards their positions and Katara moved to join them. Something, however, was pulling her back. Not a physical pull, but a pleading in Aang's expressive, gray eyes. She stayed where she was, and looked back at Aang. His eyes had seen so much in the past few months. So many battles, and so much destruction. The young airbender had come so far since Katara had first met him. _

"_Aang, I…"_

"_Katara, I..." _

_Katara stopped mid-sentence, a bit taken aback. "_I didn't expect him to say something first." _She thought. _

"_You go first" Aang insisted, in an almost chivalrous manner. _

"_We've been through so many things together and I've seen you grow up so much. You're not that little goofy kid I found in the iceberg anymore. I guess what I'm trying to say is, I'm really proud of you."_

"_Everything is going to be different after today, isn't it?" Aang asked._

"_Yes, it is." Oh, how simple and dumb it sounded. But it seemed to be the only sincere answer to Aang's question. After today, the Fire Lord would be defeated, and the world would have peace for the first time in one-hundred years._

_Aang shifted his eyes a bit, then allowed them to rest on Katara. "What if…what if I don't come back?" he asked desperately. _

_How could he even begin to doubt himself? "Aang, don't say that. Of course you'll-" Aang cut her off by pressing his soft, young lips to hers. Katara wanted to pull away, wanted to scream at him how wrong this was, how his timing for this loving, yet chaste kiss was completely wrong. Yet, something made her give in to his touch, as if her conscience was advising her to let him have this moment. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Aang pulled away. Without another word, he stamped his glider open, and flew towards the heart of the Fire Nation._

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"I love Aang very much, but not in the same way he seems to love me." Katara sighed as she drew circles in the water with her forefinger. The fountain on one of the upper levels of the Western Air Temple had become her favorite place to think, train, and just relax. The high position allowed her to keep a close eye on everyone and make sure her little "family" was safe. Right now, she could see Sokka sharpening his boomerang on one of the lower levels of the temple. Toph was lying down on the floor above him, occasionally flicking rocks his way, so that the pieces of earth would hit poor Sokka right on the head and cause him to let out a rather girlish yell. Aang was working very diligently on a firebending move. "_He's looking good. Zuko's proving to be a pretty good teacher._" Where was Zuko, anyway? He wasn't with Aang, so he must be in his room, resting on his bed.

"_I bet he looks like a little kid when he's asleep."_ Katara thought. _"Oh yeah," _said a little voice inside of her, _"a little kid who has freakishly well muscled arms. Speaking of Zuko, if he's asleep, maybe you should go and see if his chest is as ripped out too." _Katara frowned, almost disgusted at how she caught herself in this reverie. But, after what happened last week, she couldn't help but stifle all of her irritated feelings towards Zuko, and try to focus on his good qualities. "He held me so warmly when I was crying. I felt…_safe_." She said out loud.

"I hope you feel safe." said a husky voice behind her. "Because you seem to be the one looking out for danger right now. If you feel threatened, well, then we should probably find a new hiding place."

Katara fell right off the side of the fountain and onto the stone floor. Zuko hurried to her side, and offered her a hand. She brushed him away, with a bit more venom than she intended, and demanded, "How much did you hear?"

"Just the part about being safe, I swear." He promised, looking a bit crestfallen.

Katara eyed him disbelievingly, and then sighed, her gaze softening a bit. "I'm sorry for snapping at you, Zuko. You just startled me, that's all." She brushed some dust off of her skirt and sat back down on the edge of the fountain. Her blue gaze drifted from the floor to the water, and her eyes glazed over a bit as she became immersed in her thoughts once more.

"Um, Katara?" Zuko asked. "You've looked a bit distracted lately. Well, this whole week, actually." The prince spoke softly, so he would not awaken any rage inside of her.

"It's nothing, really." Katara sighed, her gaze never leaving the water. "It's just that, so many things have happened to us since the day of black sun. We failed to defeat the Fire Lord, lost all of the adults in our invasion force, and now _you've_ joined us."

Zuko winced a bit, but knew that couldn't be all. Katara's demeanor seemed fine just a few days before. What had changed to make her act so distracted all the time? "Is there more than that?" he pried.

Katara finally turned around and was about to ask him why he needed to know about her mental goings-on, when her eyes locked with his. Just like last time, an icy blue pool met a blaze of warm amber. His eyes were so sincere, so kind and welcoming. They seemed to project the warmth of his heart. _"The warmth of his soft hugs, too." _she thought. Katara couldn't help but melt a little when she looked at him. Moments passed, and neither of them moved. _"I wonder what it would feel like, to be held by him again. Just one more time, that's all." _An image of Aang suddenly popped into her head. Katara knew that Aang loved her in a much deeper, more complex way than she loved him. What if he had caught her and Zuko in their embrace a week earlier? What would he have said? _"Oh, his poor little heart would be bro-"_

A splash of water smacked her right across the face. She spun around, only to discover Zuko standing right next to the fountain, his whole lower arm soaking wet.

"What the heck was that for?!" she yelled.

Zuko chuckled a bit. "_Now_ you wake up!" he laughed. When Katara only responded with a seething glare, his smile faded. "Look, I'm sorry. It's just, when you got lost in thought like that, there was some pain in your eyes. I just…"

"Yeah?" Katara asked, urging him to continue.

"I just don't like to see you hurting." He murmured. He knew it sounded hypocritical, he had attacked her, her brother, and Aang so many times, but now that he had gotten to know her a little better, the pain in her eyes made him cringe, and he wanted to make it stop.

That is, until, a wave of water hit him so hard to the side that he lost his footing and fell straight into the fountain.

Katara laughed as the prince got up, soaking wet. When he glared a bit, she smirked, and answered "Hey! Don't look at me like that, I was just getting rid of the pain in your eyes."

Zuko's frown turned into a smirk that imitated the waterbender's. "Well, Katara, I didn't know you cared!" he rasped, as he grabbed her by the upper arm and pulled her down into the fountain with him.

She shrieked in both surprise and glee as she fell, backside first, into the fountain. Katara wasted no time in bending a sphere of water right into Zuko's face.

The pair splashed, laughed, and played. For a time, their worries were forgotten; their troubles left behind. Finally, they tired out and were content to sit in the fountain, the water still sloshing around from their battle.

Katara sighed contentedly, closed her eyes, and rested her head on Zuko's shoulder. The prince blushed, then turned slightly, allowing her to relocate her head to his chest, and draped his arm around her shoulders. _"I guess I got my wish."_ Katara thought. She allowed all of the warmth from his body to radiate into her as her eyes drooped drowsily.

"Well?" Zuko asked.

"Well what?"

"Have I changed your mind about me yet?" he inquired.

"Almost there, Zuko." She sighed. "You're almost there."

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**Author's Notes: **Muahaha! I have returned from the dead (aka "School"). Here's a one-shot/sequal to "Change My Mind". I'm thinking about making this a trilogy. Or, quadrupaligy, or whatever. Sorry this is so short! The next one will be much longer, I swear. Anyway, I really hoped you liked it! Read and review please!!

_**Replies to the review for "Change My Mind":**_

**Toph13139: **Thank you very much! And here you go, the next part!

**pringle.sam: **I get milk AND cake? Yayness! Thanks so much!! . Glad you liked it.

**charizardag: **Your wish is my command! Here you go! XD

**Lost Ranger: **Aw! Thanks so much! Your feedback is quite appreciated!

**JayJay133: **Thanks, and will do!!

**CobaltHeart: **I'm glad you like it, but I hope the future installments will make you love it! D


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